conceptcarz.com

1954 Swallow Doretti

The Swallow Doretti was produced by the Swallow Side Car Company between 1954 and 1955. It used a Reynolds 531 tubular chassis, running gear mostly sourced from the Triumph TR2, and wore an Italian-inspired aluminum body designed by Frank Rainbow (an engineer at Tube Investments). The body panels were supplied by Panelcraft. During its short production lifespan, a total of 276 examples were built.

1954 Swallow Doretti photo
Roadster
Chassis #: 1208
Engine #: TS4288E
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
The Swallow Coachbuilding Company was part of William Lyons' empire that specialized in making sidecars. Another one of Lyons' companies, Swallow Sidecars, made the 'SS' cars that adopted the 'Jaguar' name following World War II. After the war, it was sold by Lyons to Tube Investments (TI), and as the sidecar market declined, the firm used its spare capacity to make the Doretti in 1954.

From the drawing board to the prototype stage took a mere ten months. Power was from a four-cylinder inline engine with overhead valves sourced from the TR2. Additional TR2 components included the gearbox, rear axle, front and rear suspension, and interior instruments and switches. It was 7 inches longer and 5.5 inches wider than the TR2, allowing the engine to be placed farther back in the chassis resulting in nearly perfect weight distribution. Compared to the TR2 upon which it was based, the Doretti was heavier and slightly slower, but its handling was noticeably better. It also came with fitted luggage and a heater as standard equipment, unlike the TR. Due to being hand-built, the Swallow Doretti was priced twenty-five percent above the Triumph.

The Swallow Doretti was popular in California, and one of its chief rivals was the Jaguar XK120. This did not please William Lyons who pressured TI to cancel the Doretti project, going so far as threatening TI with sourcing components for the Jaguar from other vendors. TI reluctantly made the business decision to keep its lucrative contracts with Jaguar and ceased production of the Doretti in 1955 after 276 examples had been completed.


by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2021

Related Reading : Swallow Doretti History

The Swallow name was introduced in 1922 when William Lyons and partner William Walmsley formed the Swallow Sidecar Company. William Lyons was the ambitious Brit behind Jaguar Cars Ltd, a company whose origins can be linked directly to the modest Swallow works. Swallows sidecars may have lacked the lines of an E-Type and the performance capabilities of an XJ220, but they were quality pieces in their....
Continue Reading >>

1954 Swallow Doretti Vehicle Profiles

1954 Swallow Doretti vehicle information
Roadster

Chassis #: 1208
Engine #: TS4288E

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Doretti

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
95.00 in.
4 cyl., 121.50 CID., 90.00hp
95.00 in.
4 cyl., 121.50 CID., 90.00hp

Related Automotive News

ACURA NSX PRODUCTION SITE SELECTED IN OHIO

ACURA NSX PRODUCTION SITE SELECTED IN OHIO

05142013 - MARYSVILLE, Ohio Acura today announced that the all-new NSX supercar will be produced at a new Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio, a %2470 million advanced production facility encompassing 184,000 square feet to be housed inside...
Land Rover Celebrates 65 Years

Land Rover Celebrates 65 Years

- April 30th 2013 marks the 65th anniversary of Land Rover - Celebratory event showcases 65 years of Land Rover innovation - Around 150 heritage vehicles attend celebratory event at Packington Estate in the United Kingdom, the original testing ground...
Jaguar Land Rover Debuts Three All-New British Vehicles At 2012 Los Angeles International Automobile Show

Jaguar Land Rover Debuts Three All-New British Vehicles At 2012 Los Angeles International Automobile Show

Jaguar Land Rover introducing three new vehicles with special focus on the U.S. Market High-performance 2014 Jaguar XFR-S makes its world debut All-new two-seat sports car, the Jaguar F-TYPE, makes its U.S. Auto Show Debut The worlds first all...
Mercedes-Benz at Pebble Beach Automotive Week: An Expression of Fascinating Design and Innovation

Mercedes-Benz at Pebble Beach Automotive Week: An Expression of Fascinating Design and Innovation

Historical Tribute to SL W194 Chassis No. 2, 7 and 11 among 300SL vehicles on display The Concept Style Coupé opens a new chapter and generation of Mercedes-Benz vehicles AMG 45 year anniversary highlights the pinnacle of performance and style ...
Mercedes-Benz at Pebble Beach: An Expression of Fascinating Design and Innovation

Mercedes-Benz at Pebble Beach: An Expression of Fascinating Design and Innovation

Historical Tribute to SL W194 Chassis No. 2, 7 and 11 among 300SL vehicles on display The Concept Style Coupé opens a new chapter and generation of Mercedes-Benz vehicles AMG 45 year anniversary highlights the pinnacle of performance and styl...